many Walmart workers are glad to work on T Day and overnight into Friday...

[msongs]

visited the local wally world recently, where the pallet jacks were stacking up huge piles of shrink wrapped goods marked for Thursday night. Had some chats with the worker bees and they were ALL glad to get more hours and pay. Everyone I talked to, about 8 people, were happy about that, at least that's what they told the public (me)

[bluedigger]

1. Sure they are.

I bet they'd like that every week.

[Lightbulb_on]

4. If I was an hourly guy...

I'd like more hours at 1 1/2 or double pay..

What is so hard to believe about some people having a work ethic?

[Bjorn Against]

7. The striking workers do have a work ethic

And they are tired of Wal-Mart disrespecting their work ethic by refusing to pay them a livable wage or provide them with health benefits.

[bluedigger]

10. You do understand the strike isn't about working on Thanksgiving, right?

It's about being paid a living wage. The timing is just to draw attention to their complaints.

[obamanut2012]

14. Who says they are getting OT pay?

Very doubtful.

And, why is wanting Thanksgiving off having no work ethic?

[Lightbulb_on]

59. The lack is because that is what they agreed to do...

... when they started working at a retail store.

"What do you mean I have to work when people want to shop!?"

The strikes and union issues are seperate from complaining about working on Thanksgiving ( which was the point of the original OP IMO)

[obamanut2012]

64. Again -- where does it say they are getting OT pay?

Why do you think wanting to be at home with family on America's ONE real family holiday is a lack of a work ethic?

[Lightbulb_on]

70. OT may vary... The story I heard a few days ago...

... Claimed that some were receiving it. Not really the point either way.

Some jobs require working on holidays to include many service and retail jobs. That's the job they agreed to do so the complaint doesn't resonate with me.

[obamanut2012]

71. Wal Mart doesn't pay OT

You get fired of you go over.

[Lightbulb_on]

73. Ok...

Still not the point...

Retail workers are expected to work when people want to shop. Right now that includes Thanksgiving...

[TalkingDog]

77. It's an artifically created demand.

When people have less to spend and they are promised deals, they are going to shop when the deals are available.

Do you seriously believe that if the deals didn't start until "Black Friday" people would leave their houses on Thursday evening just to go shopping? Give me a break.

Tho, granted, I might because I'd be positive that there would be very few people out and about. I hate shopping in crowds.

I will guarantee you that merchants would not find it worth their while to spend money on staffing and and running the stores if they weren't offering "bargains" to people desperate to save a buck.

It's a sick system.

[SomethingFishy]

91. LMFAO... this started last year. Are you saying that

up until last year no one demanded to shop on Thanksgiving and then there was a paradigm shift in the way people shop?

Or is it that you are willfully blind to the fact that these stores are creating this demand themselves?

I'm sorry, for 48 of my 50 years Thanksgiving was a family get together where you stuffed yourself with good food and then sat on the couch watching football and hanging out with the family all day. Shopping was never even a glimmer of thought in anyones mind. And it still wouldn't be if it weren't for this:

DOORBUSTER SALES!!! CHEAPEST PRICES EVER!!!! WE MATCH ANY PRICE!!!! SORRY YOU ARE SO BROKE THAT YOU HAVE TO RELY ON THESE SALES SO WE WILL OPEN ON THANKSGIVING JUST FOR YOU!!!! IT'S ALL FOR YOU!!!! FUCK EVERYONE ELSE!!!!!

Yeah advertising. Total manipulation of an entire populace.

[Lightbulb_on]

95. You're telling me things change over time!?

We used to not shop on Sundays either but the demand was there and is now the norm.

If it's there , it's there. The origin doesn't really matter. If a business sees the opportunity to increase sales they would be wrong to ignore it. That is literally their sole purpose for existing.

[SomethingFishy]

98. Wow.. No, what I'm telling you is this was sold to you as necessary

and you bought it hook line and sinker. Easily manipulated. You really think people were out there demanding that stores open on holidays?

And this:

"If a business sees the opportunity to increase sales they would be wrong to ignore it."

Yeah it's that kind of thinking that brought on the collapse in 08'. From what you've posted I have to assume that in your mind business comes first, before family, before friends, before everything. If there is a way to make a buck businesses should do it no matter how many people they have to screw over to get there. Good luck with that one.

If you feel the need to shop tonight go ahead. I'll be home with my family. Shopping can wait.

On edit: If you need to see a successful business that is successful because they don't follow that "make money at all costs" mantra check out Costco. They pay a decent wage plus benefits, the CEO's salary is capped, and they don't force their workers to work on holidays. Yet they are making a fortune... Go figure

[TalkingDog]

104. And you have hit the nail squarely on the head. Profit should not be their "sole purpose"

They take a LOT of tax dollars out of my pocket that end up supporting all the people who work there because WalMart refuses to pay a living wage. That means more people end up in the Social Safety Net. That means higher tax dollars for citizens.

They already get tax breaks from the cities that allow them to build. Now I want something in return....like oh... community involvement. Ethics. Participation in the Social Contract.

I don't mind if profit is their PRIMARY purpose, but not their one and only reason for existing. It is a corrupting influence that is harmful to communities and families.

[obamanut2012]

113. This -- terrific post

[obamanut2012]

111. For which they should be paid holiday pay

Wal Mart does not pay OT.

[Kingofalldems]

156. Do you happen to be a republican?

[TalkingDog]

74. Repeat: WalMart does NOT pay Overtime.

Anybody who suggests they do is uninformed.

[Tree-Hugger]

82. Wal-Mart does pay overtime...sometimes

I am not misinformed. My husband is a manager for Wal-Mart. He has been paid overtime in the past. Now, that's not a frequent part of the job. Usually, they will cut your hours or threaten your ass if you so much as go 15 minutes over your allotted hours. The times my husband and other workers have been paid overtime were because of an absolute desperate need for workers in those weeks. Part of it was because the store was expanding and the work load was extremely heavy at that time.

As for knowing you have to work Thanksgiving - the stores in my husband's district were not open on Thanksgiving for years. They just started last year, with being open in the morning to early afternoon. This is the first year they are open for Thanksgiving evening. Again, this is my husband's district and I do not know if the hours are the same nationally. So, someone who signed up for the job 7 years ago went in thinking they would have Thanksgiving and Christmas off because that's the way it was. They are talking about opening on Christmas as well in the coming years. It's been a discussion for a while now.

As far as overtime and holiday pay - many workers have had hours cut in the last two months to make up for the fact that they would be getting special pay during tonight and tomorrow. In addition, many workers may find themselves have hours and positions cut after the Christmas season - usually from January to March.

Finally, every single employee in my husband's store is under strict orders to keep your damn mouth shut about this whole strike thing. If people ask, you say you are happy with your job and your hours. Employees have been encouraged to use social media to tell friends they are grateful to work on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Now, I don't doubt that some people are perfectly fine with working these hours. Some people truly don't mind. But I just wanted to add some awareness to the fact that employees are also being coached to be upbeat and positive about their job and to deny, deny, deny anything the strikers say. One of the department managers in my husband's store also called into a local radio show that was discussing the issue to say that, "everyone is happy" with their job.

[Luminous Animal]

88. Great post. (nt)

[TalkingDog]

101. How often do the people who aren't management get overtime pay?

Serious question, with no snark intended.

And an honest thank you for your insight.

[Tree-Hugger]

110. Not often

It's very rare...even for management. The most it happened at my husband's store was during their expansion. Quite a few non-management folks were able to get OT.

Typically, if you have overtime, you need to find a way to burn through it before the end of the pay period. You have to come in late or go home early or expand your lunch hour in order to balance out the overtime. Even 15 to 20 minutes extra can get an associate in deep trouble.

[jeff47]

126. It should be noted that this

Typically, if you have overtime, you need to find a way to burn through it before the end of the pay period. You have to come in late or go home early or expand your lunch hour in order to balance out the overtime.

is against federal law. But having had to take a job at Home Depot in the past, I'm quite aware that federal law on overtime gets broken all the time.

You go over 8 hours in one day, they have to pay overtime. They can't do comp time. And AFAIK, no major retailer complies with this.

[Tree-Hugger]

132. Oh wow

I didn't know about the law. That pisses me off so much because I know for sure Wat-Mart isn't the only one who does it. It's messed up that they get away with it.

[obamanut2012]

112. Managers and AMs at Wal Mart do not get paid OT

They are not hourly.

Great post.

[Tree-Hugger]

121. My husband is hourly

He is a department manager. I think it's the store manager who is salaried. I'm not 100% sure, though.

[HiPointDem]

136. Opening on Christmas? There's the real 'war on christmas'. Jesus, how low can

they go?

[bigtree]

147. you got just right

hours reduced leading up to peak business, reduced afterward . . . holiday work is certainly an opportunity for those folks; usually not a viable option for them to turn down that money.

[newspeak]

81. yeah, IF they were getting paid time and a half or double time and a half

working on a holiday, i might want to work it. my son, who is single, loves working on the christmas holiday for others with family so he can get that bonus OT. but, this might not be the case for places like wal mart?

[obamanut2012]

114. Straight time at WM

[TalkingDog]

117. If you work extra, your hours are cut so that pay stays the same.

Walmart does not pay time and a half for holidays. There are six paid holidays a year which Walmart pays for, if you work that day you'll get paid double, once for your hours worked, once for the holiday. But they like to give their associates a an extra day off on holiday weeks so you get the same number of hours you normally would.

[ohheckyeah]

16. The bulb is flickering.

Not wanting to work on a holiday or wanting a living wage is not indicative of a lack of work ethic...it's indicative of something called self-esteem.

[zbdent]

17. "more hours at 1 1/2 or double pay"

they might get that ... if they had a union which would get Wallyworld to pay that ...

as it is, quite a number of those Wal-Mart employees ... sorry, "associates" ... are instructed on how to apply for welfare, etc. because they don't get paid enough to get off it ... if this were a situation proposed by a lib or Dem, it would be announced on Faux as yet another "socialist destruction of America ...

[krawhitham]

20. They will only get time & a half if they work more than 40 hours in the week

Most union workers get overtime for weekends and anything past 8 hours a day. Most non union workers have to work more that 40 hours in a week to see any overtime pay

[BlueCaliDem]

22. Exactly. And I don't know any Wallyword workers working 40-hour work weeks.

Management usually allows them to work right up to that threshold, mostly 35-38 hours a week for minimum wage.

[Tree-Hugger]

83. Also...

They will frequently cut hours between October and March to make up for "allowing" anyone to have OT time or holiday pay.

[BlueCaliDem]

150. Every Democrat, Progressive, and Liberal, should boycott

Wal-Mart and not shop there or only go there once a month at most. The purchasing power of the customer is what they need in order to survive, and losing it could force them to review their policies as employer to employee. But this needs to be done now and en masse, striking while the iron is hot, and placing a negative rep on them in the same way people attached a negative rep to the pro-war stance. Only then will they listen.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

36. People were written up at my Walmart for going 0.01 over 40 hours...

Some had to work extra hours on one shift and leave early on another to prevent from going over.

Then getting in trouble for not getting work done that day.

[Tree-Hugger]

84. Right

My husband has had OT in the past, but it's rare.

Often, you will receive disciplinary action if you go overtime. In addition, they will cut hours either right before or after the hholiday season to make up for any employees who have extra hours due to the holiday rush.

My husband has had many weeks were he had to take a two hour lunch or go home early in order to keep exactly 40 hours and not a minute over.

[backscatter712]

27. Yeah, people wanting to be paid enough to live on are lazy...

Why does DU tolerate scab pieces of shit like you?

[Comrade_McKenzie]

37. +1 I hope I serve on the jury for this comment so I can vote to LEAVE IT. nt

[Romulox]

57. The final vote was 3-3 LEAVE IT ALONE! Happy Thanksgiving, DU!

[backscatter712]

65. I love you guys!

Ain't jury nullification grand!

[Luminous Animal]

90. +1!

[Lightbulb_on]

46. Have a lovely Thanksgiving...

... And keep on being classy.

[obamanut2012]

47. The poster is right

What you posted is anti union talking points. You believe people wanting a living wage and a decent quality of life have no "work ethic."

DU Admins need to add anti union posts to the TOS.

[nadinbrzezinski]

108. So you thihk people who work for, 16,500 a year are lazy

but people making a few million are not?

Free clue, the ones busting their asses for 15,500 have a work ethic, they would like to be able to pay the rent, and maybe eat three squares a day. You can't do that on 16,500, have you checked how much those practices cost you in public benefits?

[MattBaggins]

145. That poster is classier than you with your "work ethic" comment

[Lightbulb_on]

148. Just because some folks...

... feel the need to spew their bile and hate during a supposedly civil conversation doesn't mean we all have to.

The angrier folks get the closer to the mark you know that you have hit.

[HiPointDem]

137. +1

[Rob H.]

151. ..and once again I find myself wishing

we could rec individual posts.

[MattBaggins]

29. Work Ethic? FU

[joeybee12]

30. Yeah, who says they're getting OT....they probably don't geta full 40 to

begin with, so this time isn't OT.

[newspeak]

80. actually, i believe one wal mart was written up

for making their employees clock out and still work for no pay. that happened when i was still living in moab, utah and it was on the news. there have been numerous labor complaints with wal mart. from locking in employees restocking at night (no one had the key to get out the fire escape), promotion sexual discrimination, to clocking out working for no pay.

[DiverDave]

40. Hey genius , are you aware that the walmart kids

(Sam's kids) have over 100 BILLION between them? Thats with a huge B
Did you know that that is more money then the bottom 42%of American wage earners make COMBINED???
And the cheap motherfuckers dont pay a living wage OR health insurance?

I'm telling YOU,you fool, that those people will be the 1st to be strung up,come the revolution.
After we get their Swiss bank account numbers from them, of course.

And the walmart workers NEVER get 40 hours, if they get to 39.90 hours the manager has them clock out and,many times, continue with the promise that the extra hours will go on 'next weeks timecard'
And how do I know this?...I used to deliver the meat and produce to the stores from the walmart distribution facility's.

[Ikonoklast]

116. S. Robson Walton owns a one-off Gold Ferrari 599.

Doesn't everyone get to call Ferrari and commision a on-off custom fabricated automobile with solid gold interior appointments?

The only one of its kind?

I wonder how many of his employees got taxpayer-funded healthcare and subsidized food in order for him to afford that little vanity piece?

[lunatica]

56. Union members actually have a higher work ethic

And because of it workers everywhere gain. Show me a company that has union workers and I'll show a better quality product.

[WinkyDink]

103. "WORK ETHIC"?!

[CreekDog]

144. The moment Thanksgiving becomes a work day for our society's wage slaves, just for consumerism...

that's when we've lost the holiday.

that's when it's become a time for those who have to be thankful that they have the have nots to serve them and make a poverty wage to keep that service cheap.

what a sad thing for our country. if you like it, you miss the greater meaning.

[Kingofalldems]

154. Oh I get it. The strikers have no

work ethic and want free stuff. Interesting and familiar.

[Kingofalldems]

155. You seem familiar.

Been here before?

[marmar]

2. And? ..... The ones who are striking apparently aren't.

To them, this is about a lot more than working on Thanksgiving.

[Honeycombe8]

3. I was wondering about that. nt

[Bjorn Against]

5. And many would like to receive fair pay for their work rather than the crumbs Wal-Mart hands them

That is why many will be going on strike and I will be joining them on the picket line.

[MichiganVote]

6. Yeah well when you're fucking starving for your kids,

you're trying to give your kids some kind of Christmas besides the school Christmas basket, and you can't pay for the dental work you need---I guess you just grin and bear it.

Walmart practices bullshit labor practices. Just because people are not jumping out of windows b/c the fucking building is on fire and the exits are closed DOES NOT mean that this company is any more compassionate or interested in the public good. This company is a fucking racket. It epitomizes the very worst of the capitalism.

[bettyellen]

8. You think they're stupid enough to tell you the truth while on the job?

They can be fired for that!

What is with all the anti- union bullshit around here?

[dflprincess]

12. +1000 n/t

[BlueCaliDem]

23. + 2000.

I thought Democratic Underground promoted Democratic policies rather than Republican policies? And isn't Labor a strong Democratic Party group?

I guess some DUers didn't get the memo.

[HiPointDem]

139. plenty of them didn't get the memo.

sometimes it seems to be a class issue (upscale professionals who live in a bubble); sometimes a 'support dems even if they boil babies' issue; sometimes i'm not sure what it is. but you notice it.

[BlueCaliDem]

149. Labor has, traditionally, been the backbone of the Democratic Party platform

and although even I (a pro-union advocate) know that some unions are more recalcitrant than helpful (public unions like police unions and firefighter unions), I do believe that the vast majority does tend to look out for the employee and to ensure their rights aren't violated.

Labor unions are the major reason why Harry Reid got re-elected in 2010 when it actually looked as if he was going to lose his seat and called upon the unions to get the vote out. Labor unions didn't come out for Democrats in 2010 overall because of their lackluster performance against a progressive agenda (too many BlueDogs). And although this hurt us big time, it at least put the Democrats in congress on notice to shape up or they'll be shipped out.

Labor unions are helpful in places like Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, Home Depot, etc, where employees have to work egregious hours for minimum wage while the corporations make tens of millions in profit. Then there are companies, of course, that pay very well, offer generous benefits without a union (thinking Starbucks and Costco) without the need for unions.

But overall, imho, everyone should understand, at least, that without Labor Unions there'd be no middle class today. IMHO, they were the tide that lifted all boats in our society that encouraged non-union companies to at least live up to their standards and what eventually created the middle class.

[Tree-Hugger]

85. They are being told to say this

During the recent morning meetings at my husband's job, the associates are being told they anyone caught speaking out about their job, their hours, the holiday schedule or any strike talking points will have immediate disciplinary action. They have been told to use social media to spread the word that they are very happy to work Thanksgiving and Black Friday and that they think they receive a fair wage from Wal-Mart, yadda yadda. A big show was made of the fact that one of my husband's co-workers, another department manager, called into a local radio station to say that the workers were very happy and that they love this time of year. And yes, I know some workers honestly are happy to work these few days. It's just that the ones who are unhappy have been instructed on what to say.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

94. I have been wondering that myself.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

9. Sure.

WWW.SUPPLYSIDEUNDERGROUND.COM

[brewens]

11. I witnessed and elderly couple quiz a young woman at Wally World one day maybe 15 years ago.

I got the feeling they were Paul Harvey fans and were upset with some of the negative PR Walmart was getting. They asked her if she liked her job and was happy with the pay and benefits and she of course told them she was.

I wanted to step in and say WTF do you expect her to say? If she tells you anything but what you want to hear and you rat on her, she's fired! For all I knew they were stooges sent in to ferret out any malcontents. I could see them doing that.

A few years alter I had that Walmart on my dairy route. I really liked the shipping and receiving department head and also their grocery department head. Jim, the shipping and receiving guy eventually hooked up with a Frito Lay job. He started out running vacation routes for them. Walmart called the local Frito Lay manager and told them he was not allowed to deliver to any of their stores in the area! After nine years as a good employee they tried to screw him for leaving.

[obamanut2012]

13. lol

[MadHound]

15. Eight whole people, huh?

Now there is a proper representative sample, mmm-hmmm.

Oh, and how dehumanizing is it to refer to a person as a "worker bee". Is that how you look at humans and society in general? Worker bees, queens, etc.? My, my.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

18. Good point. And how akward was it for the workers?

"Excuse me Walmart employee, are you happy with your job?"


"yeah sure whatever, its great"

::::looks at their co-worker::::

"who the hell was that?"

[joeybee12]

31. And I thought the Rasmussen polling sample was small...nt

[Comrade_McKenzie]

39. Anyone that has not been privvy to the breakroom discussions of a Walmart...

Knows not a damn thing about the distress people are under.

I had to quit for anxiety. One of my coworkers was losing hair for being under so much stress and others were on antidepressants.

[Democracyinkind]

54. Made up shit, for sure.

It reads like he visited a fucking zoo or something and finally got the elephants to talk!

What a smug little fucker.

[Starry Messenger]

19. lol.

[RegieRocker]

21. They thought you were a Walmart planted goon

and they called you names after you left.

[BlueCaliDem]

24. You *do* know that Wallyworld contracts "mystery shoppers"

who tattles on any employee to the management, don't you?

[Mariana]

33. Lots of stores do that.

Those "mystery shoppers" usually have as part of their job description to try to get the employees to break a rule or make an error. In addition to the paid rats, the employee may also have to worry about other employees within earshot who may be backstabbers, and asshole customers who'll complain to management about them "having a negative attitude" or some such shit, because the employee said something the customer didn't like.

[BlueCaliDem]

96. It's sad, isn't it? The corporate "divide & conquer" strategy

that only hurts the workers has been perfected by Wal-Mart. This is why Wallyworld doesn't want unions anywhere near their corporate plantations disguised as Big Box Stores. Can't have uppity workers demanding safe working conditions, living wages, health care, and fair compensation, can we?

[obamanut2012]

48. Exactly -- and what the poster below you says is also true

They are paid to, literally, FORCE you to do something "wrong" so you can get a bad eval, and you maybe fired and the store management get a lower bonus or raise.

[Tree-Hugger]

86. Yep. And so does Target. nt

[BlueCaliDem]

97. I know. Target is a horrible employer, too.

So is KMart.

I'd rather go to Costco or smaller stores, like Mom & Pop shops, whenever I can. I pay a little more, but the difference isn't large enough to break my budget.

[backscatter712]

25. Happiness is mandatory.

Don't you know, they're all happy little fucking elves! On penalty of termination.

[pinboy3niner]

28. The favorite expression of some workaday grinders I once knew...

...who worked at some really sucky, soul-killing jobs, was (said with exaggerated enthusiasm) "I LOVE my job!!!"

[bluestateguy]

26. This may just be an anecdote

But I do think that this haphazard Walmart strike everybody seems so excited about is going to be a great big flop.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

[DireStrike]

32. What makes you think it's haphazard?

Do you know something about the organizing being done?

[littlemissmartypants]

34. .

http://makingchangeatwalmart.org/stand-up/

[RandiFan1290]

45. Easy to say as you plant another fart in your seat cushion. nt

[quakerboy]

138. A crappy, irrelevant, and misleading anecdote, to be sure. But you may be right

Pretty sure most walmart employees are aware that participation will likely mean losing their jobs. Not a fun proposition in the current economy.

Then again, at some point in the mistreatment, it might be worth it to them. So I will support them in spirit. And if they are out there tomorrow at our local store, in body as well.

[HiPointDem]

140. maybe. but it will get press. which labor issues aren't getting much of these days.

i don't think there are actually a lot of workers striking myself, but i think there are some other unions in the mix besides ufcw.

i personally don't think the strike is so much the point as the bad press, stirring up anti-WM sentiment, & keeping some shoppers out of WM, as part of a longer-term strategy to extract concessions from WM.

but we'll see how it plays out.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

35. And here's some anecdotal evidence from my friend's (Walmart employee) Facebook page:

"Back from the hospital, and I didn't break my arm, but I still hurt it pretty darn bad. Gonna get ready to try and get some sleep, work tomorrow until midnight .So sad that I cannot go to my grannies for dinner tomorrow peace ♥"

[white_wolf]

127. That post is either sad or infuriating I can't decide which.

Seriously, the Walton family can go straight to hell.

[Sherman A1]

38. And I bet they would like

Thanksgiving off with pay if that was an option for them.

[DiverDave]

42. I just wanted to shout this at the top of my lungs

THE WALMART CHILDREN HAVE OVER $100 BILLION BETWEEN THEM!!!
Thats more money then the bottom 42% of U.S. wage earners make COMBINED!!

And they are too broke to pay a fair wage and provide health insurance.

In this instance I really do hope there is a hell, because these turds deserve it forever.
But my rational mind knows that there isnt, else why would god allow the suffering that
has happened since the beginning of time?
What kind of loving god allows a child to starve to death?, to be raped to death? To be BEATEN to death?
I'll tell you what kind, a sick twisted kind with a magnifying glass over an anthill kind.

Sorry, went a bit further afield then I should have.
But I dont take anything back,tho.

[obamanut2012]

49. Please make an OP of this

I promise to kick it so it doesn't sink. Just let me know when you post it.

[marasinghe]

134. you said nothing to be sorry for Dude.

these elitist fuckers better read up on the history of the world, they've conveniently blanked out of their minds.

[Fumesucker]

43. A young neighbor recently got a job stocking at night at Walmart

I saw him recently and he told me he hated working there but there was nothing else available.

More anecdata for your study.

[RandiFan1290]

44. I bet the sweatshop slaves said the same thing. nt

[HiPointDem]

141. plenty of historical evidence that slaves loved being slaves. the masters said so.

[Caretha]

50. So where did you go msongs???

You planted this turd of an OP and disappeared. What kind of a DU member are you?

[SheilaT]

51. A lot of hourly workers are happy to get more hours.

I'm working all day today, 9am to 8pm, and I volunteered for this shift. I'll get paid regular pay for the 11 hours because I'm only a part-timer and normally work 20 hours a week, so I still won't go over 40 hours in the week.

But here's the rest of the story. I am in a place in my life where I can manage just fine part time. I work the information desk at my local hospital, 4p-8p Monday through Friday. From 8a-4p volunteers staff the desk. The volunteers understandably don't want to work the holiday, so this is the third year in a row I've volunteered to do the whole day. More to the point, I don't have any family here, and so I'm not missing out on a family gathering. The only trivial down side to working so long is that it gets a bit boring and tedious. I'll bring a book, I'll work on my novel (I'm getting an amazing amount written on the job because I have so much spare time), probably bring some crocheting. But it's not difficult work, people are glad to see my smiling face when they walk in the door. Plus, I get a free meal in the cafeteria. What's not to like?

But it's inexcusable in my opinion to open stores on Thanksgiving Day itself. You can be totally certain that the managers who made that decision are home themselves today, and most likely have the entire four day weekend. Anyone who works retail understands that they'll work odd hours, weekends, and many holidays. But Thanksgiving Day? I'm appalled.

Personally, I have not shopped at a WalMart in years. Personally, I don't shop the day after Thanksgiving.

Just one other note. I have good benefits in my job. I'm a permanent part time worker. So I accrue leave time, I get five holidays a year, of which Thanksgiving is one. So in addition to the extra hourly wages I'm getting today, I'm getting another 12 hours of pay. So my next paycheck will be about half again as large as usual. In sum, I'm perfectly fine with working today myself, and by this point all of the retail workers at all the stores that are going to be open today are themselves okay with (or resigned to) working. Extra money is always nice, we all get that. But how many retail workers get benefits or paid leave time? Not very many.

At least Papa John's, where my son is a pizza delivery guy, is closed all day today.

[99Forever]

52. Yeah... sure...

That whole human dignity, fair livable wages, and time with family shit is way overrated. (<--- for the completely clueless)

Catapult anti-union horseshit much?

Fuck Walmart.

[Democracyinkind]

53. I'll listen to smug fuckers like you as soon as you get down on living on minimum wage

and prove your work ethic.

Spoiled, entitled, shit-for brains scab is what you are. I'm a rich white dude and you're pissing me off like no other thread on DU has ever managed to do! Imagine how your shitty thread must sit with people who have been struggling their whole life?

If this is your party, this party is not for me. I am convinced that your silly OP doesn't sit well with 98.5% of all people who vote D.

The hubris of telling your cute little story - and I sincerely doubt you did that, as you write about it like visiting a zoo - in order to convince us that you know what Walmart slaves want better than their grass-roots org is mindboggling.

This is the first and only nasty comment that I ever made on DU. I think it is well deserved.

[Progressive dog]

55. Thanks for another anecdote from the plutocrats

Just want to say that I agree with all the negative responses to your OP. Most of the major retailers play the game of low pay, part time work, cheap products from exploited third world labor--but no company does it as well as Walmart. You may think that it is perfectly fine to pay workers less than a living wage, to deny them health insurance, to schedule hours as if you own them. I don't.
You may think it's acceptable to to "poll" those workers where their bosses may be listening and post their responses as if they were real. I don't.
You may think that the Waltons earned their $100 billion plus by hard work and are job creators. I don't.

[lunatica]

58. They probably thought you were a management plant

which is probably how management gets their information on workers in WalMart.

[Earth_First]

61. This. n/t

[Earth_First]

60. This whole OP smacks of smug, premeditated effort on your part...

I bet you couldn't wait to run back to the internets and publish the findings of your 'investigative journalism' from your interactions with the "worker bees"

Ever get the feeling that given the recent developments of nearly 1000 strike actions taking place in the next 24 hours that they might be wary of 'ordinary folk' randomly engaging them in how content they are with their jobs?

Glad you could provide us with this glaring piece of self promotion on the state of eight Wal Mart employees.

[alp227]

62. What the frick? I heard some right wing radio host say this too!

Flipped through AM radio before sunrise. Station (KKOH 780/Reno) played soundbite of afternoon host (Dan Mason) saying wal mart workers are lucky to gave a job in the first place. 50 kw Signal faded out 10 before 7 in bay area. Msongs, I thought you were better than this. Did your account get hacked?

[ileus]

63. For most of those kids they want the extra money.

I know when I was in HS and college I worked every hour I could to build up extra cash while on Thanksgiving break.

[backscatter712]

66. More often, the people working retail these days aren't kids.

Some people's entire careers lately are shuffling from one shitty retail job to another - they never last long, because those corporations will not promote from the ranks - they use you for a few years, then concoct an excuse to fire you.

[Democracyinkind]

69. How many Walmart slaves are kids nowadays?

Thought so....

[obamanut2012]

72. They are mainly laid off adukts and Seniors

Not HS or college kids.

[nadinbrzezinski]

79. Go to your local wallmart and look around

as to who is actually working. Yup, a few are kids... most are not.

Oh and no, they will not work them over the 40 hours. OT is not in the blood of Wally World

[HiPointDem]

142. kids? have you ever been in a walmart? it ain't just kids working there.

[alcibiades_mystery]

67. Congratulations for one of the most anti-worker, anti-union shitty threads ever on DU

Way to crash a pretty good message board reputation all at one time.

Disgusting.

[obamanut2012]

75. +1

[Lady Freedom Returns]

100. You know, I have seen a lot of that lately.

Anti-worker, anti-union threads have been popping up a little to much.
Wonder what gives?

[backscatter712]

118. At least this year, I have one thing to be thankful for...

Jury nullification!

Don't you love being able to tell these anti-union thugs what you really think of them?

[ProSense]

120. Bizarre, isn't it? n/t

[Starry Messenger]

135. +1

[Canuckistanian]

68. Ah yes, the old "thank you sir, may I have another" mentality

The only reason they may seem happy is that they're probably on a 32-hour or less work week.

And remember - for these people, there is no Thanksgiving. Just backbreaking labor at minimum wage.

[octothorpe]

105. Maybe not all of them...

Some of those guys could have been like me. I work in a technology field that requires staff 24/7/365, and many of us usually fight to get the holidays on so we can get the extra holiday pay. Of course most of us like our jobs and we get paid decent wages (which I believe is actual issue here)

[Canuckistanian]

125. The point is, you don't work for Walmart wages

The average Walmart worker is desperate for those extra hours. They need those hours simply to make ends meet.

This is not right. When you pledge your labor to a wealthy employer, you should get a better deal than these people.

[dionysus]

76. sure they did.

[nadinbrzezinski]

78. You sure you do not work for their PR Department?

No serious. This is almost word for world what I got out of Fayetville.

[Luminous Animal]

87. When I worked at K-Mart near 40 years ago, the floor clerks and check out

employees hated the all night shift. The stock staff didn't. The big difference? The stock staff didn't have to deal will the public. They didn't have to hear the screaming and yelling of people fighting over merchandise and up to late children and couples who at 3:45 AM having total exhausted melt downs with each other. They didn't have to be ever vigilant for theft. They didn't have didn't have to tell people for the 1000th time, not to open the packages. And then stock staff could enjoy the lulls in their shift. They could sit down (and some would take a nap while their co-workers covered for them. Floor staff had to keep busy at all times.

[RedCappedBandit]

89. LMFAO

I signed up for two shifts today because I could use the money. (Don't work at Walmart, just an example). I'm not *glad* about it. What would make me *glad* would be a wage that didn't necessitate so much overtime every single holiday.

Edit to add: Since it is thanksgiving, I am at least grateful that I get holiday and overtime compensation. Can Walmart employees even say the same?

[Tree-Hugger]

92. And what did you expect them to say?

You were talking to them as they were working in their place of employment. Did you expect them to start shouting, "hey man, this job sucks! They treat us like shit and threaten to fire us if we don't work on Thanksgiving!" Right.

I'll give you the reality as someone who has had her bills, rent and food paid for by Wal-Mart for many year now (via my husband - department manager at Wal-Mart). For the past few weeks, all associates in my husband's store have been firmly instructed to keep their mouths shut about the strike. They have been told to tell their families, friends and to utilize social media to say they are quite happy with their jobs and that they are excited and grateful to work Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Anyone who is caught talking out of line about Wal-Mart will be "immediately disciplined." One of my husband's fellow associates made a call into a local radio program that was discussing the issue of stores opening on Thanksgiving. He said he knew Wal-Mart employees who were very happy to have the hours and extra pay.

The extra pay they they do get will be balanced out eventually. Some stores cut hours prior to the holiday season. Some cut hours starting in January. So, yeah, you might make time and a half for a day or two, but you'll eventually get a good chunk cut per week in the following months.

"Worker bees." Jesus....

[NYC Liberal]

93. Only because they get screwed over so badly

that any extra hours are welcome.

I know the feeling because I've had to work shitty retail jobs on Thanksgiving.

[southernyankeebelle]

99. They don't like to pay overtime. I have a relative that came over at 6:00 am. She had gotten off

1 hr early because they didn't want them to get overtime pay. Now during the holidays they do get more hours but no overtime hours.

[octothorpe]

106. They don't get double time on holidays?

[TalkingDog]

107. Read this post:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1868664

Notice that her husband rarely gets overtime and he is management. The news report I saw last night indicated there was NO holiday pay.

[southernyankeebelle]

109. Yes your right. I asked a friend who is working earlier and they are getting holiday pay and over

time. She said they were already lined up outside.

[TalkingDog]

115. Yes, but they cut hours for that week so that the pay stays the same.

"Walmart does not pay time and a half for holidays. There are six paid holidays a year which Walmart pays for, if you work that day you'll get paid double, once for your hours worked, once for the holiday. But they like to give their associates a an extra day off on holiday weeks so you get the same number of hours you normally would."

[obamanut2012]

123. I am almost positive that is only for FT employees

Of which WM has few.

[HiPointDem]

143. They don't get OT. They get paid for a holiday & pay for the day. Then they get

get docked hours later in the same pay period to make up for it.

According to another person familiar with the process in this thread.

[obamanut2012]

122. No -- and no law says they have to

SOLIDARITY!

[backscatter712]

152. My understanding is Walmart works hard to avoid giving a worker more than 32 hours a week.

That way, they can classify them as "part time" rather than "full time", and thus legally deny them benefits like health insurance.

They don't want you working full time. And overtime is right out - on top of having to pay time-and-a-half, they go over the "part-time" limit. Nope, can't spend the money to let workers see a doctor - why that would make them less desperate!

[southernyankeebelle]

153. I asked my husband who has been with them since 95. He said they consider 28 hrs full

time. I asked him 3 times are you sure. He said yes. My goodness no one can support a family on that. My husband is full time because he has been there so long. But he doesn't take the medical insurance. We have it through Tricare (for retired military). Honestly many people can't afford the insurance. Many of the employees work other jobs on top of this one.

[WinkyDink]

102. My friend is. She e-mailed this:

"6 PM to 3 AM on Thanksgiving/Black Friday. Be interesting to see if any of my co-workers take part in that.....strike."

I personally am hard-core unions, so don't EVEN.

[ProSense]

119. I have an idea.

You know that repetitive thing?

Use this from now on: "many Walmart workers are glad to work on T Day and overnight into Friday..."

[wickerwoman]

124. You'd be happy to work extra hours too

if you were regularly paid so little you qualified for foodstamps and Medicaid.

Isn't the real issue though why they make so little in the first place that they're happy to give up the one holiday of the year they're guaranteed to spend with their families and friends for an extra $65?

[liberal N proud]

128. It is because the will get an extra 10% discount on their entire purchase

on two days in coming weeks.

[Lil Missy]

129. I used to volunteer to work the Holidays for the overtime. n/t

[malokvale77]

130. No...

They don't even like working there regular hours.

My daughter called me on her way to work tonight (Walmart). She was nearly in tears, because she knew what she was in for.

She has 2 kids to support, but would have foregone the money to stay home with them. There was not one single employee willing to take her shift.

[Union Scribe]

131. Just dropped this match in the grass and walked away eh? nt

[Bombero1956]

133. of course they're going to say that

After all they have no idea if they're talking to an undercover Walmart boss.

[bigtree]

146. you'd take anything you can get if you're already squeezed by low wages and benefits.

support the striking workers